Beast Tamer
by Cinnamon Panda
Summary: AU Once upon a time, there was a man who lived two different lives; and once upon a time, a girl who barely knew him fell in love. NejiTen
1. Wake The Birds

**mk hay guys! Kuma here. so me an' serenity were thinking of a collab again.. I suppose this is it? I kinda came up with most of it, NO THANKS TO SERENITY. XD ALL SHE CAN TALK OF IS NEJI RAPING TENTEN. WHICH IS TECHNICALLY NOT RAPE 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T RAPE THE WILLING. XD**

**...SERENITY, STOP THINKING OF HIM. XD**

**-HYPOCRITE-**

**-end caps abuse-**

**Serenity: **_**I DON'T KNOW WHICH HIM YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT'S EITHER NEJI OR MY CRUSH, BUT EITHER WAY, NO, I WILL NOT STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM, AND DAMNIT, RAPE IS A SIN AND SINNING IS FREAKING HOT AND yes fellow readers, I'm insane.**_

_**...and yes. we know we're supposed to be working on HSIT, and I'm supposed to be working on HAKH. xD We're getting there! (slowly.)**_

**x-x-x**

'Talking'

_'Thinking'_

**'emphasis'**

**x-x-x**

**Summary: **_Once upon a time, there was a man who lived two different lives; and once upon a time, a girl who barely knew him fell in love._

**disclaimer: **_we don't own. we'd love to tho. :D_

**so without further adieu, here is **_**Beast Tamer**_

**x-x-x**

The night was a deafening black, the only light falling through gaps in the canopy was the light from the moon. The wind was cool and crisp, caressing the body of a young girl, her hazel-brown eyes as smooth as honey. She glanced around her through long, thick lashes, taking in the night's sound and feel, a ghost of a smile creeping on her face as she landed her gaze on a family of birds sleeping peacefully in the tree nearby. Pushing stray branches and leaves from her path, she pulled a twig from her chocolate colored hair, which was pulled back loosely in twin panda-buns. Quietly, she made her way up the tree, as not to alert the birds.

Slowly letting go of her bag, she settled herself up on the branch, clutching the layered skirts of her corset to her, paying no heed to the dark figure that had made its way to the branch above her.

She gazed at the birds softly, smiling peacefully, her eyes softened. She was a pretty outgoing girl by nature, she knew her manners, though having a short temper, and she managed to seduce everyone in a split second without even realizing it, but through all that, she had a soft spot for birds.

She wasn't exactly sure why she did, she just knew her heart seemed to warm up whenever a small feathered creature landed next to her. She loved how they could fly so freely, their chirps, annoying at times, but melodious all in all. They were small and adorable, and for some unknown reason, she just had an attraction.

The girl reached out to stroke one of the birds gently, flinching when a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, preventing her from touching the bird. "Please do not wake the birds, my lady."

The brunette's head turned slowly, and gazed at him, blinking. The figure stayed still and blinked in response to her wide, doe-like eyes, gazing at him thoughtfully. It was already a surprise she hadn't screamed and swatted his hand away, but the fact that she was so calm was the _real_ surprise. He was a beast by blood; it was all too obvious. His pale skin, silver eyes, his nimble and smooth movement, dog-like ears, and his fangs were dead giveaways. Although, if you looked closer, he seemed almost.. humanly. The way his face was sculpted perfectly, his eyes seemed to penetrate right through your soul, his lean but strong frame, slender fingers, and a perfectly pale and smooth complexion.

He didn't really look like a beast, he looked… More like a mythical creature out of a fairy tale; polite, handsome, with a mysterious aura about him; he was every girl's dream.

The girl used her free hand to reach out and stroke one of his ears gently. Her hand unconsciously moved down to stroke his pale cheek with the back of her fingers, all while she looked at him curiously. She opened her mouth, but lost her balance and tumbled down, closing her eyes and clamping her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming and waking everyone.

The figure that had been next to her in the tree suddenly was below her, holding her in his arms, gazing at her silently. "My lady, are you all right?" he asked smoothly, his voice was a bit quiet, but she assumed he had whispered.

"O-of course," she muttered, a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks as pulled down at her dress, trying to cover her knees.

"A lady such as yourself should not be out at an hour as late as this," he continued and set her down, kneeling down next to her. "Please be careful; I will not always be here to watch over you."

"Certainly. C-could I.." she paused shyly, "..could I possibly have your name? I-I'd love to know who it was that saved me." she gave him a small smile, her fingers ghosting over his pale skin absentmindedly.

The beast shuddered pleasantly at her touch, and made a low guttural noise, nipping at her ear in a notion for her fingers to stop. "I am sorry to say, my lady, that you cannot." he murmured in her ear, coming to embrace her gently as she ran her fingers over his ears once again.

Her face dropped slightly, and she pulled back momentarily, a questioning look etched on her features. He gave a husky chuckle, pressing his lips against her jaw. "Give me your name, my lady, and I can assure you that we will meet again." she thought for a moment, before smiling softly at the ground.

"My name is Tenten," she paused, and looked back up saucily only to speak in a more good-natured fashion. "and I will hold you to that promise, beast."

The beast shuddered again as the girl, now known as Tenten, traced the intricate silk designs woven into his attire. She gave a pleasant smile at him, before craning her head to get a look at the sky through the canopy. "It's a full moon tonight. Beautiful, is it not?"

The beast looked up with her and smiled faintly. "It is beautiful, but…" he paused and pressed his lips against her neck, raking his canine fangs against her skin softly, earning a pleasant shiver from the girl as she clutched him tighter. "You are more beautiful, my lady," he whispered huskily, gently releasing her. He smiled at her again and jumped upwards. Tenten heard a faint rustling of leaves and branches, but it was quiet soon after. The night breeze blew softly, and the girl smiled as she stood up to go back home.

_I assure you, we'll meet again._

**x-x-x**

The brown-haired maiden gave a groan as she awoke to a sharp rap against her chamber door, and shifted uncomfortably against her silken sheets as she attempted to sit up.

"Lady Tenten," the maid bowed as she entered the room, dark strands of her hair fell over her shoulder. "Would you like me to keep it a secret that you were out all night? Again?" the maid cringed as Tenten shot her a look. "Yes. Keep it a secret. Because it's what I tell you to do every. Single. Night."

"Y-yes miss."

Tenten gave a groan, disentangling herself from the sheets as the maid left the room. Picking up a dark, lacy green corset, she glared at the frills it had as a skirt. "Oh, how I _loathe_ corsets." She threw it back on her bed and sighed again, glancing at herself in the mirror. She puffed out her cheeks in an unlady like fashion and frowned, before leaning her forehead against the cool, smooth texture of the mirror and sighed.

"Oh, I simply cannot wait to see the beast again.." she murmured drowsily, rubbing her eyes as the maid walked back into her room to assist her with her corset.

Ridding herself of her sleeping attire, she slipped the corset-like dress over her head and waited for the maid to lace the ribbons. Once finished, she pulled on her laced boots and socks, grabbing her silken green bag, braiding her hair as she made her way down the stairs and out the door.

Slipping quietly through the market, she ignored the blatant stares of the other high-class women and their company. She curled her lip into a smile as one of her favorite vendors came into view. The the taller of the two girls mending to the birds gave her a wave, while the younger grinned and gave a shout.

"Lady Tenten, Lady Tenten!" she squealed happily, shutting the cage to one of the birds, picking up her skirts hastily as she ran into Tenten's outstretched arms. Tenten swirled her around like a loving mother, before setting her down with a laugh. A few passerby's smiled at the serene picture, while the more aristocratic of women and men turned their noses up at the display and went on their way.

Walking back to the two girls' stall, she gave a greeting to the other. "Good morning, Lady Hinata. I trust you and your birds are fairing well?" she smiled, and the girl, Hinata, returned her smile shyly.

"M-most certainly, Lady Tenten." She leaned forward and they exchanged air-kisses on each cheek _(1)_, smiling at the brown-haired girl when she reached out and opened up one of the cages, an exotic bird fluttering out and on her shoulder.

"Miss Hanabi, this bird must be new, am I correct?" Tenten addressed the younger girl who was holding her hand. Hanabi blinked her moon-colored eyes happily and nodded. Hearing a shout, she craned her head to look behind them; giving a smile, she tugged on Tenten's skirts as a tall, dark-haired man with the same eyes as the two girls came up behind them.

"L-lady Tenten, may I introduce our older cousin, Sir Neji. _(2)_" The man's silver eyes widened a fraction at her name, but he remained impassive as he took her hand, kissing it gently.

"How do you do, my lady." his deep baritone voice made her blink as she took in his appearance. Tenten gave a curtsey in greeting, before speaking up curiously.

"Have we met before? I feel as if I know you from somewhere, dear Sir." her hazel eyes swirled curiously, and he could feel her drawing him in with those eyes of hers. He looked away hastily, speaking quickly to save himself.

"I'm afraid not, my lady." he murmured loud enough for her to hear. Her curious gaze did not waver. "Now, if you'll excuse me," he paused to search out a certain bird, before gracefully picking up the cage. "I have a delivery to address." he gave a bow, bidding farewell to his cousins, and tipping his hat to Tenten.

**x-x-x**

**annnnddd, that would be the end of the first chapter of **_Beast Tamer_**. ;D We really hope you guys liked it, 'cause this took **_forever_**. D: anyway, here's the stuff with the numbers. lolll.**

_(1) aristocrats and other rich people do this in greeting. Like, where you press your cheeks against another and kiss. and you do this to both cheeks. :3 I do this with my family in europe. along with a few friends. xD_

_(2) Sir Neji. 'cause Master Neji sounds kinky. XD "Oh, yes Master Neji! Spank me __**harder**__" XDD_

**So gaiz, please go review. :DDD**

**WLYA. :DDDDD (We Love You All)**

**KumaSerenity**

**;D**

**x-x-x**


	2. Nightly Escapades

**Disclaimer: We don't own D:**

**Hii :D Serenity here, cuz Kuma uploaded last time. –sighs- Omg, have any of you watched Tokyo Juliet? It's a pretty good drama, cept the fact Liang (Wu Zun) is so flirtatious and gets jealous so easily and the main girl (Xiang Qin from ISWAK) likes him after an hour of the drama. But Wu Zun's hot. :D**

**Kuma: -smack- GET ON WITH IT. D:**

**Chapter 2- …SOMETHIN.'**

Making his way up the vine near the window, the beast stopped just outside the window of his maiden, only to see her removing her dress. The maid had just left the room, he presumed, since she was no where to be seen. Before Tenten could even touch her undergarments, he unlatched the window gently, loud enough to alert her of his presence.

The beast smiled softly as he walked over to Tenten. "My lady?" Tenten gave a startled jump, and clutched the corset to her chest, then let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's you…"

The beast glanced at the corset in her hand. "Would you need some assistance with that?"

Tenten glanced down and flushed a brilliant shade of red. "O-oh! Yes… I-I mean, I-I'd be honored to h-have you help m-me b-but…"

He chuckled and turned her around gently and turned around himself. "I won't look. I will just help you tie the ribbons in the back. It's not polite for a gentleman to sneak a glance at a woman while she's changing, correct?"

Tenten flushed but gave in. "All right. But please, don't turn around."

The beast half smiled in amusement as he waited patiently as he heard the rumpling of garments. Tenten grumbled something incoherent as she slid the corset around. "O-okay, you can turn around now…" she said softly, embarrassment literally written across her forehead.

The beast turned around and tied the ribbons in the back, pulling tightly. "A-ah!" Tenten couldn't help but let out a startled cry at the sudden tightness. "Too tight?"

"No, it's fine," she smiled and turned around. "Thank you." There was an awkward silence in the room as they stood silently, gazing at each other.

"My lady," the beast said suddenly, his low voice breaking the silent. "I would be honored if you'd talk a walk through the woods with me." he smiled politely and offered a hand towards Tenten.

She glanced at the door, then grinned and grabbed his hand. "Let's go, shall we?" she couldn't help but let out a small giggle as she felt herself being held in his strong arms as he leapt out of the window, and towards the forest.

Tenten ran her fingers through his dark umber-colored hair as he jumped gracefully through the shadowy forest, with her settled comfortably in his arms. Leaning up, she pressed herself against him further, giving him a flurry of butterfly kisses along his jaw, finally leading up to a kiss on his soft, furry ears. He gave a low, almost possessive, guttural growl, stopping his movement long enough to push her up against the base of the tree he was currently standing in.

"My lady, if you keep your ministrations up, I will be forced to keep you here longer." he hissed through clenched teeth, reprimanding her with a swift bite to her shoulder. Giving him a saucy smile, she paid his torture no mind as she planted soft kisses on his exposed neck, ghosting her fingers over his jaw and cheek. Tired of her teasing, the beast pressed himself up against her feverishly, quickly attacking her neck with rough, passion-filled kisses, using his fangs between every few kisses to leave possessive marks. Tenten smiled amusedly at his reaction, letting out a breathy moan when he scraped his fangs over a sensitive spot on her neck.

Cupping her cheek softly, the beast gave an approving grunt as she leaned into his touch, tilting her head which gave him better access to the soft, creamy skin on her neck; she could practically feel his smirk against her skin. Tenten gave a tortured whine, forcing him to look at her. She gave a pout, kissing the corner of his mouth.

Startled, he immediately captured her lips for the first time, earning a sharp but pleasant gasp from the girl against him. Tangling her fingers in his long silky hair, Tenten broke the kiss, albeit reluctantly, and leaned against him, panting. He ran his hand down the swell of her hip, coming to curl his arm around her waist, pulling the maiden closer. His ears flecked forward momentarily, as if listening for a sound, but were soon pushed back as Tenten cupped his cheek softly, sliding her hand down his neck before curling her fingers possessively in his shirt. Threading his fingers through her unbound hair, the beast tilted her head up, where he then promptly recaptured her lips chastely, nibbling on her lower lip.

Quickly glancing at the hue of the sky, he stared at the girl in his arms through half-lidded eyes, leaning down to her ear. "My lady, I fear it is time for my departure." He murmured, tracing the marks he had left in her skin with his fangs, making a few new love bites in addition. She gave a protesting mumble, curling closer against him as she held onto the fabric of his clothes tighter. He slipped his hands down her back, rubbing circles through her dark-colored garment.

He drew her lips in against his, caressing her cheek reassuringly with the back of his fingers. "I will see you again soon my lady, do not fear."

Tenten only remembered herself falling asleep in his arms. She wasn't sure what happened after that, either he had taken her home, or someone had found her asleep in the branch. Either way…

"Otori. _(1) _Tell anyone of the marks on my neck and I'll make sure to personally hang you myself."

"Y-yes, Tenten-sama…"

**x-x-x**

"Tenten-sama."

"Nngh…" was the muffled response of the brunette. She was snuggled in her comforter, her legs tangled with her silky sheets, giving an irritated slap at the air to get rid of whoever was there. "Go away, I'm still sleeping…"

"Someone is here to see you."

"…Send them in," Tenten sighed and sat up, rubbing her eye, watching as a man walked in, holding a cage. "You… You're Lady Hinata's cousin, correct?"

Neji looked up cautiously and tipped his hat. "Indeed I am, my lady. Your father has given you a bird as a present; where would you like it, miss?"

Tenten motioned to her desk and watched him as he walked over smoothly, placing the cage down with utmost gracefulness. "…I really do feel as if I know you from somewhere." she murmured aloud, striding over to stand next to her desk, unlatching the polished brass cage, allowing the bird to flutter out, landing on her shoulder with a crescendo of chirps.

Neji froze for a second, and kept his head down. "I am afraid not. Perhaps you feel you know me because you know my cousin so well?"

"…reasonable enough," Tenten said slowly, rubbing her finger against the bird's head. "You may leave now, dear Sir."

"Good day," Neji tipped his hat to her again and slipped out the door. Tenten watched the door close softly and she sighed, closing her eyes.

_'Reasonable, but he and Lady Hinata have different auras. He does not resemble her… so… who does he resemble…?'_

**x-x-x**

"Lady Hinata," Tenten began as she and Hinata walked through the garden, each holding a parasol. "Tell me about your cousin, Sir Neji."

The maiden looked startled momentarily, before fidgeting with her lace gloves. "A-ah, S-sir Neji is somewhat mysterious to our whole family, Lady T-tenten. He stays at the Hyuuga M-manor during the day, but he leaves at night. I b-believe I heard f-father mention before that he has a small home in the w-woods."

The former nodded, letting the information sink in. "H-he does, as you may or m-may not know, have an attraction to birds." she smaller maiden smiled, her eyes half-lidded as she recalled a memory, no doubt.

Tenten blinked for a moment, her honey colored eyes glancing softly at the girl, before widening in an alarmed manner as she saw the sun setting. Fumbling with her parasol, she gave an out-of-balance curtsey, a pink tinge against her smooth cheeks. "I'm sorry to cut our walk short, Lady Hinata. I have a date to fulfill within the next hour."

The blue-haired woman blushed, giving a stumbled curtsey to match the other's, calling out after the brown-haired girl. "G-good day to you, m-my lady!" the woman closed her parasol noiselessly, smiling at the darkening sky.

**x-x-x**

Hastily, Tenten pulled up her heavy skirts, her silken bag and parasol in one hand, the other keeping her wild, untamed hair from her eyes. "Oh, how foolish I am! He's going to think so lowly of me for forgetting our engagement! _(2)_" she continued to babble nervously, as she burst through her manor's front door's, slamming the door shut noisily, possibly alerting the whole home of her arrival. She needed to quickly get to her chambers, change her corset and skirts, and be off for the woods in the next few moments!

Rushing up the stairs, she gave a startled cry as she missed a step, stumbling at the top dangerously, gritting her teeth to await the pain of a fall. When no pain was felt, she was suddenly aware of a hand curled around her waist, another holding hers delicately while a release of warm breath was let out near her neck.

"My lady, did I not previously state that I could not _always _be here?" a rich, smooth baritone voice awoke her from her momentary daze, accompanied with a lingering kiss to her neck. She glanced beside her, reaching over with her free hand to caress his face, giving him an appreciative smile. Realizing their surroundings, her eyes widened, and she snapped to her senses, pulling him to her room hastily, glancing around to see if her maids had caught sight of him-.

She let out a sigh of relief as she saw no one was around, it was just her and the deserted manor. For once the maids had retired early and were probably gossiping in their chambers, but for once Tenten did not mind. She turned around and closed the door softly, locking it and smiling as the beast immediately put his hands on her upper arms softly and kissed her neck. "My lady, please do be more careful from now on…" he murmured drowsily.

Tenten grinned, more like a cheshire cat than a lady, walking forward, causing him to walk backwards until he landed on the bed with a soft 'oomph'. "Now now, my beast," she taunted him. "Let us not be so hasty. I still need to change." She headed towards her closet, leaving the beast to sit up, making himself comfortable at the end of her bed.

The beast looked around cautiously at her room. It was neat and simple, not so extravagant. No frilly curtains or anything fancy, just simple and plain. He watched his maiden walk about her chambers, gathering her garments in her arms, brushing up against him in a teasing manner as she passed by.

Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he cleared his throat quietly, finding his voice amidst the silence. "My lady, how fond are you of the corset you are wearing presently?" Tenten glanced at him, before going back to her doings.

"Not too much. It's the wrong color and it's a a tad too small." she paused, sauntering over to him, leaning down to kiss the corner of his lips. "Why do you ask, my beast?" she murmured hazily, looking him over with half-lidded eyes. He gave her a smirk, threading his fingers through her unbound auburn hair, pulling her down as he captured her lips hungrily.

She was then aware of the butterfly-light touches, caressing her back, snapping her corset laces in between.

**x-x-x**

**kuma: bwahahah! -runs away- -shot and pulled back- uh, yeah. :D I've been writing. a lot. Anyway, here's the number thingie. :D**

_(1) Otori is my (Kuma's) OC. :P she's kewl. ;D_

_(2) no, this doesn't really mean an engagement. it's like, "i'm late for a meeting." or "I've got a meeting with this person." -wishes it did- xD_

**anyway, REVIEWWWWW. you love us. :D anywayyy, any suggestions on anything you want in here? :P tell us. (Kuma answers reviews, so yeah. tell her. xD)**

**WLY guys. :D**

**KumaSerenity.**

**Serenity's uber special note: Kuma won't gimme a straight answer on AIM, but I think they had sex…**

**Kuma's later on special note: SERENITY DAMMIT. XD**

**oh, rite. I went back and edited the pages. 'cause our page breaks don't work anymore. Dx**

**so 'x-x-x' is the new page break. xD**

**Laturssss.**

**x-x-x**


	3. Fuzzy Browed Tailor

x-x-x

**x-x-x**

**Um. I understand that a lot of you might want to tear our heads off. That's very understandable-**

**OMG SERENITY WTF. D:**

**Kuma and Serenity on AIM:**

**Serenity: **oh my

**Serenity: **did you get to the part where they're fcking.

**Kuma: omg wtf! XD**

**Augh so random. Dx**

**NOW DO YOU READERS SEE WHAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH? D: she's so lazy. stupid serenity won't open Microsoft. )x**

**Either way, I, Kuma, shall start the writing for this chapter. And hopefully serenity will be less lazy and write tomorrow. D:**

**EDIT: Kuma's mother is making her get off the computer, so, she lied. I'm starting the chapter. :D And Microsoft Word kept freezing and pissing me off, so of course I didn't open it. AND BESIDES, IT ENDED WITH THE SNAPPING OF CORSETS, WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO THINK?**

_Disclaimer: We don't own._

**x-x-x**

Tenten's eyelids fluttered open to the sound of chirping birds next morning. She groaned and flipped herself over, burying her face in the soft haven of pillows, murmuring a lazy, "Come in!" as someone knocked on the door.

"Good morning, Tenten-sama," Otori bowed and set a tray of breakfast on Tenten's nightstand. "I hope you had a good sleep last night."

"Hush yourself," Tenten muttered, her cheeks flaming. "I am not sure what you heard or saw last night, but go back to your room and don't breathe a word of this to anyone, or I will have you executed. I will make an excuse for you not going to work today; go back to your room and stay there."

"Tenten-sama… I never directly stated I heard or saw anything last night," the maid responded respectively, "In fact, last night I did not pass by your chambers at all. Did something happen last night?"

"…No. Go back to your room." Tenten could bet anything she was laughing at her when she heard snickering as she left her chambers.

**x-x-x**

Pulling the lacy blue corset on, Tenten grumbled as one of the other maids tied the laces too tight. The maid, upon walking into her room, gave her a look that made Tenten want to burst out laughing, for it was a mixture of confusion and surprised. The corset she had been wearing yesterday was snapped, slightly ripped, and the skirt was a rumpled mess. Before the maid could ask for an explanation, Tenten slipped out the door quickly, grabbing her blue bag, she drew the strings, unlatching the gate to the garden at the same time. Padding down the road, she gave a noise of surprise as she came nose-to-chest with something well, rather, some_one_, as she turned the corner.

"Good morning to you, Lady Tenten." a deep, rich baritone voice pulled her out of her shock, and she smiled happily to see Hinata's cousin, Neji, standing in front of her.

"Oh! Sir Neji. What a pleasant surprise!" she chirped, giving something that resembled a curtsey, before stumbling again. He glanced on in an amused manner as she corrected herself.

Noticing he wasn't carrying his usual charge **(1)**, she gave him an inviting grin. "I was just on my way to see Lady Hinata." she informed him, dusting off her skirts. "Would you care to accompany me?" He gave her a polite shrug, offering her his arm.

"Shall we go then?"

Tenten took his invitation, tucking her arm against his, a smile on her face.

**x-x-x**

Neji glanced at the girl on his arm, giving a small smile at her nonsensical chattering. Blinking, she noticed he wasn't paying attention and turned toward him in questioning.

"It's nothing, M'lady." he gave her a smile that would've made his female courtiers swoon. She contemplated his expression,

_'For some reason, he makes me think of my wonderful, gentlemanly beast...'_

Pushing the thought from her mind, she gave a quiet yelp, startled, for she would had toppled over had she not been holding on to Neji. Before her stood a boy, about her age, dressed in a green and black trousers, gathering the oranges that had fallen out of his basket. He had a semi bowl-shaped haircut, his hair messily splayed in all directions. His most.. ahem, _noticeable _features were his thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows.

Releasing Neji's arm, she kneeled down as best she could, assisting him in picking up his spilled goods. He gave her a large grin, "Many thanks, m'lady!" he gave a bow. "My name is Lee; and who might you be, my fair flower?" he asked brightly, taking her hand.

Tenten gave a laugh, curtsying. "I am Tenten, my good sir."

Neji frowned and glared at this 'Lee' person, chattering away with Tenten. He was unusually talkative and energetic and…

"Excuse me," Neji interrupted them smoothly just as Lee was about to kiss Tenten's hand. "We are in a rush to meet with someone," he glanced over at Lee and gave a disapproving frown that resembled something like, 'you, sir, are no courtier', "So perhaps if destiny allows it, we will meet again.. er, Sir Lee."

"Oh, but you must meet my instructor!" Lee clapped his hands together and his eyes shone. "He is the greatest person ever to walk on this flat world! **(2)** He is handsome, charming, and I am greatly honored to be his apprentice!" Lee gave a thumbs up. "Lady Tenten, Sir Neji, allow me to introduce… Master Gai!"

"Lee, my good student! And who is the courtesan and his lovely mistress?" a booming voice came. Neji and Tenten simultaneously turned to the source of the voice, and their eyes widened incredibly. Neji's eye twitched and he glared at the man with a look that read, 'i take offense to that, sir!'**(3)**

Tenten tilted her head, not noticing the killer aura of the man behind her. "Sir Gai… are you, perhaps… Sir Lee's… brother?"

Gai threw his head back and gave a booming laugh, causing the girl to jump. "Of course not, my lady! I am a tailor! Lee, here, is my apprentice, and might I say, he is a prodigy!" Both men grinned at each other. Tenten could only stare. The same bowl cut hair, eyebrows, eyes, pants, shirts… the only thing different was the height and the extra wrinkles on Gai's face.

"Lady Tenten," Gai bowed and took the brunette's hand, kissing it gently. "You are doing well, I assume?"

"Oh, most certainly! Thank you for asking." Tenten gave a charming smile. At this point, Neji couldn't take it.

"Pardon us for leaving suddenly…" he grabbed Tenten's arms and jerked it roughly, earning a squeak and he sent shivers up her spine at the sudden contact. "But we are in a rush, for we have an urgent engagement with Lady Hinata. I'm sure we will meet again," his voice held no reassurance as he dragged Tenten off, fortunately unnoticed by Lee and Gai.

"They make the most excellent pair, do they not, my young apprentice?"

"Oh yes, Master Gai!"

"S-sir Neji! That was extremely rude!" Tenten finally jerked her arm away from him when they had gotten away from the duo, and she glared at him. "I was only being friendly, and I'm sure Lady Hinata would not have minded us being a few moments late..."

Neji turned around briskly and grasped her arm gently this time so he wouldn't hurt her, and leaned towards her. Tenten felt a blush arise. "S-Sir Neji!"

"We," he growled seductively into her ear, sending chills up her spin again. "Must meet with Lady Hinata. As sweet as she seems, and as patient as she is, she does not like to be kept waiting for too long. I apologize for hurting your arm and being disrespectful, but Lady Hinata _is_ waiting for us, _Lady Tenten._"

"A-ah… Y-you're right…" Tenten murmured dreamily as he held her hand gently and tugged her along the way to the Hyuuga Castle. She tried to calm her racing heart and prayed her hand wasn't sweating too much. But through all the nervous and havoc running around inside her mind, she allowed herself a smile. _He resembles my beast in so many ways…_

**x-x-x**

Tenten gave a polite curtsey to Hinata as she let her through the gate of the Castle; a happy feeling suddenly bubbled in the pit of her stomach when she caught sight of Hanabi dashing down the stairs, a small dog following in her tracks.

"Lady Tenten! Lady Tenten!" the lavender-eyed girl sang, grinning. "We got a new hired hand at our bird stall, miss. Have a look!" she pointed to the scruffy looking dog next to her feet, and the thing gave a bark, panting and drooling with his tongue hanging past his lips.

"My, what a charming little...?" she gave a questioning look at Hanabi as to ask for the gender.

"A boy, miss; His name is Maron." the girl looked on smilingly when Tenten leaned down to him, giving him a kiss to the nose.

"He's a darling little gentleman; i'm sure he'll do a wonderful job assisting you." she laughed when the chestnut dog ran in circles after his tail, before bumping into Neji's leg when he walked out to the gardens.

"Who's a darling gentleman?"

Hanabi gave a muffled snort at hearing her cousin say 'darling'; Tenten gazed at the dog, lost in her own thoughts.

_'My beast is certainly a darling gentleman. Neji is too, really..'_

It later turned out that Hinata was the only one who actually answered the question.

**x-x-x**

Pushing the girl gently against her chamber doors, the Beast grazed his fangs against her lips, his fingers ghosting over her pale skin.

She involuntarily shuddered, closing her eyes and parting her lips to let out a soft moan. "Oh my…"

_Knock. Knock._

Tenten's eyes shot open as soon as she heard the knock, the Beast stopping his ministrations. "What is it?"

"It's me, Miss Tenten. Otori."

"What do you need?"

"Your father has told me to come knock on your door every night at this time; to ensure you are well and safe in your room; instead of sneaking out. But of course, you are not sneaking out, are you, Mistress?" she could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Of course not." Tenten found it hard to talk normally with someone kissing her neck softly and leaning against the door. "You are excused."

"Yes." She waited until the sounds of her feet on the floor were gone, before returning her attention to the Beast. She smiled and pushed him onto the bed gently. "This really is quite risky…"

"That it is, my lady," the beast murmured, his voice sending shivers up her spine as he pulled her onto the bed on top of him, "but," he paused, smirking as her face heated up, "You _enjoy_ taking risks, do you not?"

The corners of her pink lips curled up into a wide grin, her eyes sparkling. "You already know me too well," she whispered, before she smashed her lips upon his.

**x-x-x**

A loud knock slowly dragged her from sleep; unwilling, she tossed her pillow at whatever had opened her chamber doors.

"Good morning to you too, Lady Tenten."

The brunette's eyes shot open immediately at the sound of that deep baritone voice. Her eyes caught sight of a familiar figure standing next to her bed, letting her bird, Susu,

"That maid of yours let me in," he answered as she opened her mouth, still not looking directly at her. "Perhaps you should put something on..." **(4)** he informed her, averting his elsewhere when his cheeks became pink.

She looked down to see her bare skin**(5)**, and looked off to the side of her bed to see that her dress had been thrown to the floor. Lifting up her sheets, she glanced below her waist and gave a sigh of relief.

_'Oh, good. I'm still wearing my undergarments.'_

Neji gave a well-disguised chuckle at her distress; he opened the door and slipped out quietly, giving a call.

"My lady, please inform me when you're wearing something a little less.. _revealing_."

Tenten gave a huff, pushing off her sheets and making her way to her wardrobe, pulling out a green dress with a dark green bodice **(6)** with white frills on her sleeves and on the hem of the dress, which ended just below her ankles.

She slipped on her shoes and grabbed a bag, rushing out the door. "Well then, Sir Neji," she offered her arm cheekily. "Shall we?" he smirked, ignoring her gesture, only to curl his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"We shall, my lady."

**x-x-x**

_kuma: Um. we're sorry for not updating? :D_

_mostly me for being an idiot. 8D_

_er, right. here's the number thing:_

_**(1) **__charge here meaning that he's not carrying any birds or not running any errands._

_**(2) **__i'm not sure, but i don't think it was discovered until later that the world wasn't flat. so until i'm sure, everyone thinks the world is flat, hahaha. O:_

_**(3) **__neji takes offense to that because a 'courtesan,' though i had thought otherwise before, is a prostitute who only takes up wealthy clients. i always thought a courtesan was someone who courted a high-class client, such as a princess or a noblewoman. weird. however, courtier doesn't mean the same thing._

_**(4)**__TENTEN AND THE BEAST DID NOT HAVE SEX. D: yet. because the beast is cool, he wouldn't want to impregnate Tenten with his cute wolf/doggy (whatever he is.) children. yet. that would be quite a problem, wouldn't it? ;D_

_the only thing that happen was that they got naked. or tenten was naked. and the beast uh.. never mind. :D USE THOSE IMAGINATIONS, DARLINGS._

_**(5)**__ if you didn't know, she wasn't wearing a bra or anything. because the beast took off her corset, she's pretty much naked save for the undergarments. (i'm not sure what to call these. bloomers? pantaloons? :1 i haven't a clue. if you know what to call them for this century, please be a dear and tell us. D:)_

_whenever i talk to serenity, it's like she getting a history lesson or something because she doesn't know much about this era. XD then again, i've got a serious fetish of the old english times, hohoh. ;D so i know a lot. hahaha._

_**(6)**__ a bodice is pretty much like a corset except it goes on the outer-layer of clothing. corsets are kinda like bras i guess..? they can have frill and fabric attached to the bottom to make it so that it's like a dress._

_i could be wrong. xD_

_woah. there's a lot of numbers in this chapter. :1_

_so uhhh, anywayyy..._

_kuma is gonna go swimming lololol. :D!_

_so uh, enjoy the chapter and PLEASE don't forget to __**review.**_

_so here. i'll remind you._

_**REVIEW.**_

_**REVIEW.**_

_**REVIEW.**_

_**REVIEW.**_

_**REVIEW.**_

_**PLZ. O:**_

_**...okay i'm done. XD**_

_reviewing helps us update faster. :DDD_

_**Kuma and Serenity**_

_**xx**_


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